Surprise Requests
Christian's POV:
"Dad, I want you to do me a favour." Ted asks
"What is it?" I ask cautiously.
Ted looks at me darkly and runs his hand through his hair. I know that he is struggling with this request.
"Ted, just say it. If it is within my power, I will do whatever you want me to do." I tell him, and for the first time he breaks his tough persona that he has adopted each time we have been together this week. Come to think about it, he had kept the same distance, even when we have spoken on the phone ever since he was eight. His distance and my fifty shades have sadly kept our calls brief and limited us to discussing routine matters.
"Mom looks so happy and carefree in these photos; I want her to feel that way again, even if it's for a short time." He tells me. I am puzzled and cock my head to one side, unsure of what he means. "Dad, I want you to take mom out and make her forget all this crap that has happened from the second she became pregnant with me. She has spent year focusing on me and work. Even if, it is for just one day, I want her to think about herself."
"You want me to spend time with your mother? Alone?" I ask to seek clarification
"Yes, I am surprised by me request as you." He says looking at me. Hell it's the same look I give so many people when they don't listen to everything I say. "But I do not want you try and…..You know." He says blushing a little.
"Try and be intimate with your mother?" I clarify.
"Yes. Unless she wants to, but I would prefer that you two didn't." He says looking a little put off.
"Ted, I don't know if I am capable of making your mother happy anymore." I tell him. Ted shakes his head at me and scoffs.
"Dad, I am not asking either of you to get back together. I don't even know if that is something I would want. Mom has made a lot of mistakes, but she has cared and loved me constantly. I just want you to go and take her out, make her smile and relax. As much as I dislike the fact, I have to accept the reality that deep down she still…." Ted stops talking and talks a deep breath. He fails to finish his sentence. Oh how I wish I could make him say it.
"Dad, you can make her smile like that again." Ted words compliment me, and I know that was hard for him to admit and accept. I can't bring myself to tell him that these photos were taken by Jose, and I wasn't around at the time. Though I take some peace knowing that eventually, I was able to make her smile like in those photos.
"You make her smile." I inform Ted. He smiles and nods.
"Dad, do you remember when I was four years old, and we had a picnic together all three of us?" Ted reminisces. How could I forget, it was the one of the few times that we were together. One of my rare happy memories over the past seventeen years, but it was the moment that I knew that I was going to lose them.
13 years ago (Ted is 4 years old)
Ted's POV:
I am so excited, that I have gotten dressed the second I was told to. Mom didn't need to tell me to brush my teeth or to brush my hair. Though I do not know why I even bother with my hair, it is always unruly. I think it has a mind of its own.
"Mom, I am ready" I yell out from my bedroom and then seek her out. Mom is sitting on her bed looking at some letters.
"Wow, you really are ready. Why can't you get ready this fast every time?" Mom asks, but I just shrug my shoulders. "The only problem is that we are not leaving for another thirty minutes." My mother laughs and runs her fingers through my copper hair.
"What are you looking at?" I ask picking up a piece of paper from the bed I read what I can from the page. "New York"
"Yes, New York, it is very far from here." Mom tells me.
"Are we going on a vacation?" I ask. I wonder if daddy will come too. We don't see him much. I want to see him more, but it seems as if it hurts him and my mom, so I never ask to see him more regularly. In addition, I know he is always busy.
"Not exactly, but that is a topic for a later time." Mom informs me. I can tell that she doesn't want to talk about this.
"Mom, is my father really coming to this picnic with us?" I ask hopeful.
"Yes, he is." Mom smiles sadly.
"Does seeing Dad make you sad?" Mom looks upset at the mere question.
"Teddy, you are full of questions today, but then you are full of questions every day. Why don't you go and watch TV until we leave, I need to fill out some forms. You and I will talk about New York tomorrow."
I leave my mother's room excited that I get to watch TV. I am rarely allowed to watch it, rather mom believes I should spend time reading from books or playing piano. I look back at my mother and I know that she is worried about something. I hope it's not because my dad is joining us today, but it was her idea. This is the first picnic we are going to have together.
We have travelled about for about an hour out of the city to a park with a little lake that runs through it. It is one of my favourite places because you are allowed to feed the ducks there. I have a pile of bread to feed them. Plus it has a large playground.
When we arrive, my father is already there and sitting on a large picnic blanket. He is focused on his phone. I miss my dad. I wish we could all live together.
"Can I go and see dad?" I ask impatiently, not wanting to wait as my mom grabs a few things from the car.
"Sure Teddy." I half run, half walk over to see my dad. Once dad sees me he gets off his phone and puts it into his pocket.
"Hey Teddy" Dad smiles at me. I wrap my arms around him, hugging him.
"Hi Daddy. Why are you always on your phone?" Dad tilts his head to the side at my question.
"Because lots of people need to talk to me about the companies that I own. It means I am terribly busy making sure it all works very well. However, because I have a phone it means I can leave the office, come out to be with you today and have a picnic." Dad explains, though making me frown. "Why are you frowning?"
"Your work is busy" I tell him.
"Yes, Teddy. It is very busy" dad reconfirms.
"Is that why I don't get to see you very often? Is that why you live in a different home to mommy and me?" I ask. Dad looks awful for a moment but then smiles. Mom does this sometimes, pretends to be happy when actually she is sad.
"You are full of questions Teddy." Dad says.
"That's what mom tells me, but you adults are not always good at answering them, so I have to keep asking more." Dad laughs softly at my response. "Anyway I am almost five and my teacher tells me that we are supposed to ask lots and lots of questions"
"Oh yes, your birthday. Have you thought about what you would like to do for it or what you want?" Dad asks me. I shrug my shoulders. My parents have been very generous and I pretty much have everything I want. I look over at my mother who is taking a while, she has just gotten off her phone. Mom comes over and sits close to me. She seems a little uneasy.
"Ana" Dad says.
"Christian" They both look at each other briefly.
"Are you both hungry? Mrs Jones has packed a rather large picnic for us and she has also made your favourite cookies with extra chocolate chips for you Teddy." Daddy tells me. I am instantly excited.
"Can I eat them now?" I ask hopeful.
"NO" they both scold at the same time. For two people who are never together they sure do think the same. We all sit there eating and talk. Well I do most of the talking as I tell them about school, how I have started doing Judo and playing the piano.
After eating enough, to please my father. I run off and play on the play equipment and feed the ducks. I don't know how long I have been playing for, when I look over and see my parents are arguing. I stop and watch. Dad has stood up and is running his hands through his hair. I run back to my parents, worried about what is happening. My parents see me and stop arguing.
"What's wrong?" I ask.
"Nothing Teddy. Your dad and I were just talking." Mom says. I look at dad and he still looks rather displeased.
"Ted, do you want to kick the ball around?" Dad asks me. A large smile splits on my face, but I notice for the corner of my eye that my Mom has hung her head down.
(Still Ted's POV)
"I really enjoyed that picnic, it was one of the happiest memories I have us all three together. But what were you two arguing about?" I asked.
"New York. Your mother told me that day about her having accepting a job offer. I didn't want her, or you to leave." Dad looked awful at the very recollection.
"So dad will you do it?" I ask getting us back to my request.
"I will try. When do you leave Seattle?" Dad asks to seek reconfirmation.
"Early Saturday morning." He emphasises.
Christian POV
"Then it needs to be tomorrow. I know that part of Friday needs to be put aside as you and my parents still have many questions about what occurred between your birth till you leaving for New York and afterwards." I tell Ted.
"I will make the arrangements on my end." Ted holds out his hand and I shake it. I look into the identical eyes of my son. It feels like we have made a business deal. I walk Ted out, to the elevator. Security is downstairs already to meet him and take him safely home.
"Ted" I call him as the elevators open.
"Yes dad" He says
"It has been really good seeing you this week." I tell him. Ted smiles and nods while he gets back into the elevator.
I head back to my office and call Andrea and Taylor in. I need to make plans for tomorrow, Ted has never ever asked me for anything, with the exception of taking back his trust fund, which I refused to do so, and hope he isn't interested in handing it back again. I immediately inform them of my plans and send them off to ensure security is taken care of, and bookings are made.
I open the top drawer of my desk and pull out the contents of a thin cardboard box. Inside is a picture of myself, Ana and Ted, at that very picnic Ted, and I just spoke about. Taylor took it without us being aware of it and gave it to me not long afterwards. It is one of my most treasured possessions; it's the only photo I have of us three together, and the only one that I know exists. We are all eating lunch and listening to Ted talk. Ted is smiling like a child should and Ana looks gorgeous. I am smiling, enjoying the moment. It was a perfect afternoon until Ana dropped her bomb shell.
13 years ago
Christian's POV:
I watch Ted run over to the playground equipment. I eye off Thompson making sure that he follows and keeps a close eye on Ted, to make sure he is safe. He may not live with me, and I may not get to see him very often, but damned if I will let his safety be compromised. I need to make more of an effort to see him. I need to put my fears aside of being a bad father.
"Christian, there is something I need to talk to you about." Ana tells me, looking down and fidgeting.
"I thought so" I tell her a little off.
"So now that Ted is going to go to full time school, I am intending on going back to work." Ana informs me. My blood stars to boil a little.
"Ana, there is no need for you to do that. I can provide for everything you both need and want. We are still married, and Ted is still my son." I tell her, trying not to scold.
"Christian, I know that, but I don't want to be dependent on you constantly. I want to go back to work, and I am going to do this. We may not be married, but we are formally separated" She points out.
"Worst mistake I made was signing those separation papers" I mumble. Ana rolls her eyes at me, but finally I get the opportunity I have been waiting for. "Ana, I want Ted to be cared for properly, and I know you do that now, but if you are going to go back to work then I want you to have more help. Move back in with me. Let me be there for you both, we could move into our house and give Ted the home he deserves. The house would be a better place for a growing and energetic boy then our apartments, especially yours." I scoff.
"Christian, I am not going to go into the cons of my apartment." Ana argues back. She has been living at Kate's old apartment in the Pike District. I offered to purchase her a new apartment, which she deemed as unnecessary. I even offered to let her live in our house by the sound, but she said that it would be too painful. A fact that I understood. I can't even walk into that house anymore.
"So you want to go and work at Grey Publishing. Fine, I can arrange it, so you only work whilst Ted is at school. I will set up an appointment with Roach and organise it." I tell her feeling magnanimous that I am able to control this.
"Actually no. I don't plan on going back to Grey Publishing." Ana says almost a little fearful.
"So you are telling me that I need to purchase a new publishing house? Do you have any interviews set up?" I ask her. My lips form a hard line.
"Christian, I have been offered a job, and I have taken it. I start in a month, once Ted has finished this school year." I can feel my eyes narrow.
"And this new job is with which company?" I rebuke, talking to her like a child. My anger building up at being kept in the dark.
"HarperCollins" She says. I cock my head to one side confused.
"Anastasia, HarperCollins does not even have an office here in the entire state of Washington" I lecture. It then hits me! "Which office?" I yell.
"New York. I accepted the job two days ago. And I am taking Ted with me." She says. I am suddenly hit by a multitude of emotions. Loss, anger, fear, sadness. I feel so out of control that I need to yell, I need to hit something. I run both my hands through my hair.
"Ana, you can't do this. You can't leave, and you cannot take Ted away. I won't let you" I tell her.
"Christian, I need to start a new. I feel like my life is at a standstill. I think this will be beneficial for me and Ted. I hate that we decided not to let our families know about Teddy. I don't want him living here as some horrible secret. In New York, we can start again." Ana articulates.
"That was an error. I should have told my parents as you should have also. Does your mother even know about Teddy?" I enquire. Ana shakes her head but seems repulsed by her mother. "I do not want Teddy out of my life!" I scream.
"But you only play a casual part of it anyway, you don't regularly see him. I keep asking you to see him more, but you don't" She shouts.
"Because of you and the pain" I snap back. We both then see Teddy come over and we stop yelling.
"What's wrong?" Teddy asks.
"Nothing Teddy. Your dad and I were just talking" Ana says. I desperately try to hide my anger, but I can't.
"Ted, do you want to kick the ball around?" I ask. Teddy has a large smile on his face. God I want to sweep him up into my arms and hold him tight. I look at Ted, my only son, but a child I have not been a decent parent to. My grief at losing Ana and the past has kept me away. Rather I have focused on ensuring that he is provided for.
Ana's POV:
"Ted, what is wrong with you this morning. You haven't eaten, you are nervous and even pacing. Talk to me! Has this week been too much for you to handle? Do you want me to make an appointment with a therapist or something back home?" I ask extremely concerned. I was worried about this. Ted has been upset but relatively calm throughout this whole week. I have told him aspects of what happened to his father and me before, trying to be honest and open with him. However, he had learnt this week about him, Christian and me.
"Mom, I am alright. It was me that wanted to come out here and do all this." He reminds me, raising his eyebrows at me. Another Christian Grey mannerism that he seems to have genetically inherited.
Ted sits down and starts to eat his breakfast, looking at his watch at regularly. "Ted, please tell me what is going on, if not I am going to go crazy." I tell him.
"There is something I want you to do for me mom. It is important to me. Consider it a favour" Ted says. There is a real sense of urgency in my son's voice.
"Of course Ted, what is it?" I tell him. He relaxes and then grins as the doorbell rings. "Right on time," He remarks, running off to answer the door. I shake my head perplexed at my son's conduct. I refocus on the manuscript for a new author whilst drinking my cup of tea.
"Mom," Ted says after he has returned to the dining room.
"Yes," I say not looking up, engrossed the quality of the manuscript.
"My favour is here," he says.
"Huh?" I say looking up. Next to Ted is Christian. Oh god he looks delicious, wearing dark jeans and his trademark white linen shirt and jacket. The first couple of buttons are undone, teasing me with the top of his chest. His hair is still luscious. "What are you talking about?" I ask Ted.
"Mom, dad is going to take you out today. I want you to have a day focused on yourself rather than me or work. I want you to go and have some fun, smile and be happy like those large pictures in dad's office." He says.
"Ted, I am happy." I tell him. Both Ted and Christian look at me, with the same look, telling me to just as I am told. "You do realised that you both are as stubborn and mercurial as each other!" I shake my head at them both, but they don't budge. "Whatever, I am going to go and get changed. What are we going?"
Christian grins at me. "Now that would be telling? Just get into a pair of jeans, shirt and jacket. I have a change of clothes for you should you need it."
"Of course you do." I roll my eyes.
Within ten, minutes, I am sitting in Christian's new Audi sports car. I notice that Taylor and Ryan are behind us in the Audi SUV.
"Okay Christian, I am in the car. Where are we going?" I ask belligerently.
"Ana there is something I need to do before we leave" He says smoothly and reaching for my face. I then see the contents of his hand, and my body quivers in anticipation….
Authors Note:
First off, a big thank you to Crystal9034, her being a super beta. Also thank you for your reviews, they are rather interesting to read! I adore reading them. Especially your perspective into the story. I hope you liked hearing a little about Ted as a child.
People have been asking me when I update, but it just depends on what is happening in my real life. This is the third time I have updated this week, but usually I would update twice a week.
Regards and please review,
Maria Amore